Jonathan Rosen shares the story of his best childhood friend, Michael Laudor, a brilliant
person who develops schizophrenia in his early 20s. As young, Jewish boys living on the same street in New Rochelle, NY, Michael and Jonathan share the common dream of being successful writers. Michael is an extrovert and an ability to captivate groups while Jonathan lives in his wake. There is a constant pull & tug of friendship and competition throughout their childhood into high school. Although they both go to Yale University, their friendship wanes during these years. Michael's mental illness becomes evident during his first job at Bain & Company, and he suffers his first breakdown. Michael's mental illness is a constant challenge for him and for a brief period he manages it (it never is fully controlled) and becomes an advocate for people with severe mental illness. All that changes when he has another breakdown and kills his finance' who he believes is a robot impersonating her. This tragedy forces Michael and everyone who cares for him to reflect on what could have been done differently, if anything.
Rosen has done thorough research on Michael's life by interviewing everyone close to him during college, his early working years and during his various breakdowns (professors, friends, work associates, family, etc.). He also researches paranoid schizophrenia and other severe mental illnesses, discussing the difficulty of diagnosing and managing these challenging mental illnesses.
While some people commented that the additional research took away from the central story of Michael, I found this information put Michael's challenges in context and is useful in educating people on how difficult it is to have a family member with severe mental illness. While not to the same depilating degree as Michael, I have seen extended family members who struggle with mental illness find the supporting housing required to maintain a sense of independence that everyone - even those with mental illnesses - needs to feel a sense of dignity.
Rosen shines a light on some major issues society needs to solve through the true story of a good, brilliant friend. A beautifully, compassionately written book.
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